Watching the star explode gave scientists a unique insight into how elements created in the supernova spewed out into space in the expanding fireball. The telescopes recorded oxygen, magnesium, silicon, calcium and iron being flung out at 16,000 kilometres a second, around 5% of the speed of light.

"Understanding how these giant explosions create and mix materials is important because supernovae are where we get most of the elements that make up the Earth and even our own bodies. For instance, these supernovae are a major source of iron in the universe. So we are all made of bits of exploding stars," said Mark Sullivan at Oxford University.

The observations gave scientists fresh details of what triggers this class of stellar explosion, known as a type 1a supernova. This kind of supernova is important because it always produces the same amount of light. Monitoring their brightness has allowed astronomers to calculate the rate of expansion of the universe.From the results they gathered, the scientists worked out that the explosion began with a white dwarf star made of carbon and oxygen. This kind of star can grow to around 1.4 times the mass of the sun before gravity causes it to collapse in on itself.